How important are dorm applications?

A few of the residential dorms im applying for require an application. how formal should i be when answering the questions? should it be college essay formal or just the polite me? The questions are like why did you choose your major, who influenced you etc.

I would say polite you? Are you applying for something special? I haven’t heard of dorm applications…

Many special interest dorms (e.g. language houses) require applications.

For the OP, normal formality is fine. It’s not a Ph.D. dissertation, but it’s also not a test message to your friend.